Walsh replaced
Steve Walsh, the experienced referee who has been at the centre of controversies in the 2010 season, has been taken off the match in Canberra between the Brumbies and the Reds. His place is taken by Chris Pollock of New Zealand.
After the match in Sydney between the Waratahs and the Brumbies, which the Waratahs won 19-12, the Brumbies were vocal in their dissatisfaction with Walsh’s refereeing. Matt Giteau of the Brumbies even suggested that if Walsh refereed the match against the Reds, there was no point in turning up. Giteau is to attend a disciplinary hearing for his remarks and could well receive harsh penalties.
After a meeting of the SANZAR refereeing bosses from each country, it was decided to take Walsh off the match between the Brumbies and the Reds. It was said that the decision was, not taken because of the Brumbies’ protests but because of Walsh’s performances. There were concerns over his refereeing of the Brumbies vs the Lions and the Chiefs vs the Stormers as well.
But Lyndon Bray, SANZAR’s refereeing boss has told the Australian Associated Press that Walsh was replaced, not demoted, because of his “untenable” position. Bray said Walsh would control the Waratahs vs Chiefs match in Hamilton the following round in a straight switch with Pollock. Bray said: “What we’ve done is not demote Steve from the game; we’ve taken Steve off it.
“”We agree it’s not one of Steve greatest game’s, likewise neither would either team consider they were particularly good on the night either so there’s some real responsibility that needs to be put to some of the players on that process, particularly the scrum.
“Putting the performance aside we have a real issue now in terms of getting to a point where it was quite untenable to leave Steve with the Brumbies this week.
“The hype around the comments made, really made it untenable to leave Steve in that environment – it’s certainly not in the interest of the Brumbies and the Reds.”
Walsh is the third referee stood down/moved this season – following Paul Marks of Australia and Pro Legoete of South Africa. There have also been two assistant referees stood down – Josh Noonan and Garratt Williamson, both of New Zealand. In the case of the assistant referees it has been a short-term absence from the game but Marks and Legoete have yet to make their reappearance as referees in the Super 14 though they have acted as assistant referees. The process of standing down is not a suspension or demotion but seen as an opportunity for an out-of-form referee to regain form.
Making such decision public knowledge is a new to Super rugby but is being done in the interests of transparent accountability.
Walsh is one of the most experienced Super rugby referees, having made his Super rugby debut in 1997. Only Stuart Dickinson and Jonathan Kaplan have refereed more Super rugby matches than he has. But his career in recent times has been dogged with controversy. Suspended from refereeing in New Zealand Walsh moved to Sydney and is now regarded as an Australian referee.
Australian referees have struggled a bit this year – the absence of Marks and injuries to Dickinson and Nathan Pearce have lessened their appearances.
Pollock, who refereed the match between the Reds and the Stormers, was to have been the assistant referee in the match in Wellington between the Hurricanes and the Chiefs but now heads for Canberra. His place is taken in the Wellington match by Vinny Munro, a Super 14 referee who is also on the International Rugby Board’s panel of specialised assistant referees.
